Dillon Brooks was the Houston Rockets’ defensive anchor but he had to be let go for the chance to sign Kevin Durant. His presence might still be felt in the team if ever Tari Eason masters what he taught him.
Brooks was part of the package that sent Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns for KD. This means they lost a great defender in their starting five. Eason is expected as a designated sixth man but he is ready for any role. In fact, he has been trying to hone his mental focus just like what Brooks accomplished throughout his career.
“I think Dillon (Brooks), what gave him an advantage over some people is what people didn’t know about him — he’s very cerebral,” Eason told Sports Illustrated.
“He’s watching so much basketball that that can really help him in certain ways. I’m probably a little bit more athletic than Dillon is. I can move around. I’m a little bit more switchable, so adding that to my game as far as the mental side that he brought, for sure, I think I could bring that and then some.”
Brooks has built a reputation as the best defender against opponents’ best offensive players. He came to the league in 2017 as a 45th overall pick but managed to find his niche and eventually got named as part of the 2024 NBA All Defensive Second Team.
Tari Eason wants bigger role
Eason has been steadily improving his numbers since arrive to the Rockets in 2022 as a 17th overall pick. He expects a bigger role this season and that includes more playing time.
Tari Eason on what the “bigger role” he wants would look like:
“More minutes and opportunities.”
Tari is hoping to exceed the 20-25 minutes that he averaged in his first three NBA seasons pic.twitter.com/XgVtmuzKMH
— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) October 4, 2025
Both Eason and the Rockets have something at stake this season. He is playing in his fourth year which is the last year of his contract. If the team does not extend him before October 31, that means he will become a free agent by the end of the postseason.
His batchmate Jabari Smith, recently named as the fourth starter by Ime Udoka, already got paid after agreeing to a five-year, $122 million extension.
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